The announcement came in a faxed news release Tuesday afternoon.

Chase announced the retirement will take place on August 31. She took that job in 2003 after holding teaching and administrative positions in Missouri and a number of others states including Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. KOMU is trying to contact Chase and members of the school board. The Columbia Board of Education is in charge of selecting a new superintendent. It plans to meet Wednesday night to discuss personnel issues.

Chase had announced earlier this summer how she would take a ten percent pay cut in her salary. The Columbia School District currently has a $9.1 million deficit for the upcoming school year. Voters turned down a bond request last April to help with the deficit.